Orphans appeal for support on Christmas Day

Children at the Timataaba Orphanage home in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region are appealing to government, non-government organisations, and philanthropists to support them with food and accommodation.

The children made the appeal when the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited them on Christmas Day to find out how the children celebrated Christmas, the birth of Christ.

Master Isaac Mandiayin, an Orphan, told the GNA that they were grateful to God for His guidance and protection throughout the year, and said even though they had little to celebrate the birth of Christ with, they were thankful for their lives.

He appreciated their caretakers, Mr Isaiah Dowonba and his wife Madam Janet Tindan Naamyayah, for the care and love they have given them over the years, in spite of financial challenges.

“We know it is Christmas, which is the birth of Jesus Christ, and we are very happy for our mum and dad (caretakers). They have taken good care of us. What I think is important to us is accommodation and feeding.

“I plead that if anyone can support us with accommodation and food, it will help us,” Master Mandiayin said.

Ms Martha Mbantoht, another child in the home said she was happy their caregivers were preparing some food for them to eat on Christmas Day, “I pray for God's blessings for our mum and dad in this home for the good care we receive from them.”

Asked the major challenges they faced as children in the home, the little girl emphasized that “Accommodation and feeding are our biggest problems. Most times we don’t get enough food to eat, our caregivers struggle to feed us. These are our major problems.”

Mr Isaiah Dowonba the Founder of the Timataaba Orphanage said the three-room accommodation housed 23 children, “I started this home in 2010 with six children. It is not easy for us, we have several challenges, the children just mentioned some.”

According to him, he grew up under very difficult and challenging circumstances just like some orphans, and decided to use the little resources he had, to support other less privileged children in communities of the District.

Mr Dowonba said the late Chief of the area, rented the facility to them for a period of five years, to start the orphanage, but the five-year period was overdue as the home was now 10 years old.

“We need a place that is better than this current house. Some people came and supported us to construct a house which is not completed. We need support to complete it and accommodate the growing number of children,” he said.

He noted that eight of the children had completed Junior High School and would need to be supported to the next level of their education.

Speaking on their feeding, Madam Naamyayah said she and her husband relied solely on farming and few donations from some members of the public to feed the children.

She said the floods that hit the Region this year destroyed their farm produce and made feeding a challenge for them, “Our source of funding is our farm, but this year, our crops did not yield at all, the floods destroyed our farm produce.

“Sometimes we manage to get some little foodstuffs but no ingredients to prepare food for the children. It is by the grace of God that we manage to take care of the children. We need support,” Madam Naamyayah appealed.